Construction of cupolas.



Patented lune l2, I900.

No. 65l,703.

A. EADIE'.

CONSTRUGTIQNDF CUPOLAS.

(Applicatiol; filed Feb. 5, 1900.

(No Model.)

l l itnessz IUZTL or I mgr" w: hams PETERS ca. PHOTOLITNQ. wxsumaron, n. c.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER EADIE, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE JAME SIMPSON & COMPANY, LIMITED, OF SAME PLACE.

CONSTRUCTION OF CUPOLAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 651,703, dated June 12, 1900. Application filed February 5, 1900. Serial No. 4,022. (No modelJ To all whom it'mcty concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER EADIE,

founclryman, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at In gate Terrace,Queens road, Battersea, London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Construction of Cupolas and the Like, (for which Ihave made application for patent in Great Britain, dated July 5, 1899, No. 13,874,) of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improveinents in the construction of cupolas and the ike.

The principal object of my invention isto provide a cupola so constructed that it shall present a smooth surface all the way down, and thereby avoid all risk of the charge hanging up, and by preventing any hanging up of the charge to avoid waste of fuel in the bedcharge of coke, and consequently eliminating any possibility of risk of uncertainty as to the period of output,and for this purpose I line my improved cupola with iron bricks, which are formed hollow'and intercommunicating, and into and throughout the series of hollow or cored-out cast-iron bricks forming the lining of the cupola I force air by means of a pipe or series of pipes or air-conduit, the supply of compressed air being obtained by the use of an air-blower or any suitable air-forcing means.

My invention is distinguished from other hollow brick-lined cupolas of the character described in that with the ordinary fire-brick lining when charging up a cupola the falling pieces of iron chip and cut up the skin, very considerably damaging and shortening the life of the cupola,-while when the cast-iron brick lining is used there is absolutely no damage done in this way, as the cast-iron surface is, as stated, by its smoothness of surface not liable to afford hold to the falling iron and by its toughness resists the impact. The traveling current of air passing through the hollow bricks forming the lining serves to equalize and temper the heat of the cupolalining.

In the case of a cupola provided, as in the construction illustrated in the drawings, with an air-belt or air-chamber, into which is being forced an air-current supplied by a blower or any other suitable air-forcing means, such air being heated by the cupola and thence fed to the twyers and by them directed into the cupola to aid in the treatment of the metal, I utilize a portion of this air under pressure to obtain the current of air through the castiron brick hollow lining referred to by connecting a pipe or pipes with openings into such air-chamber and with the hollow wall of the cupola through openings in the hollow iron bricks, allowing the air to escape thence into the upper open portion of the cupola near the top of the hollow wall thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which similar letters of reference are used to indicate similar parts, Figure 1 is an elevation of a cupola embodying my invention,so m uch only of the cupola being shown as will serve to explain my invention in its connection therewith, a portion of the upper part of the eupola above the closable feed-opening being broken away for convenience of the drawing. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of a cupolaas shown by Fig. 1, but taken at right angles to the face of the cupola, as seen in that figure. Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 shows a transverse section of the hollowlining, taken on the line a a, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 shows a transverse section of the cupola at about the line b b of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 shows a plan view of one of the hollow bricks forming the lining, drawn to a much-enlarged scale. Fig. 7 shows an edge view to the same scale of the brick shown by Fig. 6. Figs. 8 and 9 show two viewsa side view and an edge view, respectively-of a wedge-block for keying together the bricks such as shown by Figs. 6 and 7 by being inserted in the inclined half-grooves formed in the abutting side surfaces of those bricks.

The hollow brick cast-iron lining is in my present invention brought into combination with the lower portions of the cupola, the airchamber, and the air-supply apparatus, (not shown,) and the usual upper structure, the air-chamber, and the air-spaces in the hollow cast-iron bricks being put in connection by the air-pipes.

a is the furnace outlet-chamber.

b is the twyer-chamber.

c c c are the twyer-openings of the part1).

(1 shows the contraction of the cupola-shaft between the usual solid fire-brick portion 6 below the hollow cast-iron brick portion f and the narrower part I), f indicating a point of entry for a pipe g, connected with the airchamber h, said chamber being'supplied with air under pressure from any suit-able source of supply by the bifurcated channel 2' 1; through the trunk-pipe k k are levers operating valves in the channels 11 t to control the supply of air passing therethrough.

f f indicate openings in the uppermost course of the hollow cast-iron bricks of the lining for escape of the air passing through the lining.

lis the cast-iron external casing. Although herein I have described and in the drawing Fig. 2 I have shown the air-outlet as being formed on the inner sides of the topmost tier of hollow iron bricks, these openings may be formed in the secondor other convenient tier instead or partly in one tier and partly in another tier, or it the circumstances permit these outlets may be on the upper surface of the top tier in cases where the lining above is sufliciently thin to allow of a free passage forthe escaping currents of air and there exists no obstructingbrickwork.

Each hollow iron brickf is of cast-iron cored out hollow through its vertical length and is provided at each end with a slightlytapered slotf, so that when two bricks are in the construction of the lining buttedend to end each pair of slots f will coincide and be the means of locking the adjacent and abutting bricks together with the aid of a eorrespondin gly-tapered keyf inserted therein. The bricks f are thus arranged end to end in a series of superimposed circles to the required height around the inside of a cupola an'd'are keyed together to form each circle. Through the outer curve in three or four of thereto pipes are led, as described, to the airbelt h and blast of the cupola. There is a clear space around the entire ring for the circulation of air, this being provided for by cutting out a piece from each end of each brick and shortening the key in the lowest row. The; next course of hollow bricks is arranged so that the abutting end joints come in position in the circle immediately over and under the central spaces of the bricks in'the circles below and above, the effect being thatthe currents of air through the hollow lining take zigzag courses through the whole system upward until the air escapes from the outlets in the inner curves of the top course.

In some cases space may be left for deposit of dust or rubbish by making the entries for the air above the bottom course and leaving the bottom course unused to receive such deposit. p 7

By the use of a my improved cupola a great annual saving in wasteof fire-bricks, fireclay, ganister, builders time, and the like will accrue.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim,.and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is .4 a In a cupola, the combinationwith'the superstructure, the under structure, the twyers, air-supply pipes and air-belt therefor, of a cast-iron hollow brick lining composed of bricks having their hollow portions extended through two sides of each brick to form connecting-passages through the tiersof brick, pipes leading from the air-belt to the lower course of the cast-iron lining, and air-outlets in the upper course of said lining.

2. In a cupola, the combination with the fire-brick and fire-clay portions of the superstructure and under structure, of a lining of cast-iron hollow bricks keyed in a series-of circles or tiers superimposed one'upon another, each tier being composed of bricks having their hollow portions extended through two sides of each brick to form connectingpassages through the tiers of brick, a lower circle or tier being provided with air-ingress holes and an upper circle or tier having airegress holes, and air-supply pipes led from the air-belt of a blast-supply to said air-ingress holes in the said lining.

3. In a cupola, a lining of hollow east-iron bricks keyed together in tiers o'r circles superimposed circle upon circle, each circle or tier being composed of bricks having their hollow portions extended through two sides of each brick to form connecting-passages through the tiers of brick, the hollow bricks of each course being'so laid as to break joint with the courses of hollowiron bricks above and below it, andito form zigzag passages for circulation of air under pressure, a lower course or circle being provided with air-ingress holes and an air-supply pipe, and an upper course or circle I having air-egress holes.

the bottom row of bricks or of a row adjacent 5 v Qbricks in which each brick is provided in its ends with slots or key-passages and a hollow portion of each brick being extended through 1 two sides of the brick, said bricks being sujperimposed in circles or tiers, and keys inserted into the slots at the abuttingends of 4t. In a cupola, a lining of cast-iron hollow said bricks, the said keyed-together hollow bricks of each course being laid so as to break joint with the courses of hollow bricks above and below, and to form zigzag passages for circulation of air under pressure, a lower course of bricks being provided with air-ingress holes and an air-supply pipe, and an upper course of bricks having air-egress holes. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses. p g

' ALEXANDER EAD'IE. Witnesses:

, :EDWARD P. SIMPSON,

ALFRED GEORG BROOKES. 

